Thank you so much for posting this. It's indeed very good news. I heard Bill O'Reilly the other night telling a military official how everyone is upset because our military personnel in Iraq are not receiving their letters and packages on a timely basis. The military gentleman said they are trying hard to correct this. O'Reilly asked why we can't e-mail our guys in Iraq and he was told that because some of them are in remote areas it was impossible, but they are trying to correct that too. I sincerely hope so because I think it's vitally important for them to know of our love, support and prayers. I e-mailed our guys who were on carriers in the Persian Gulf and received many thanks. Then, recently, I received some e-mails from Marines who were on their way home from Iraq and they said this is the first time they had a chance to see such support. The personnel on the carriers printed to the e-mails and hung them around the carriers. One guy told me he was feeling a little down until he boarded the Nimitz and read these e-mails of support from Americans. He was rather astounded and very, very grateful.
Check out the military news links, maxwell:
Centcom.mil,
Defend America, etc., for updates on the communications and mail situations. The military's been up front with the press from the start of the war. Many units have laptops and access to phones, now. Mail is getting to the troops, but getting it to them is not easy. First, because there was SO much mail from home they couldn't process it and get it to the troops before the troops reached Baghdad. Now, the mail convoys are rather like the Pony Express - except instead of attacks from Indians across wide open spaces - we have regime dead-enders without a future waiting to ambush our troops from behind sand dunes and bushes (we take out FAR more of THEM!).
Every American pundit should have a good idea of the situation on the ground in Iraq by now - the size of the country (~ California), number of Iraqis (over 24 million), Coalition troops (over 146,000), and the nature of the enemy - the small percentage of Iraqis - the regime dead-enders and terrorist wannabes without a future who will continue to attack our convoys until we take them out - and we will.
It's like the wild west over there - with REALLY dishonorable thugs and our guys as Sheriffs and Rangers. The press (and Bill O'Reilly) should be informed. They should be going to the PRIMARY news sources on Iraq - CENTCOM and DoD - daily. Their ignorance - two months after the liberation of Baghdad - is inexcusable. They are entrusted with informing the world. They are failing. OUR troops are doing important, noble and difficult work daily - and doing it damn well. They deserve better from the press!